idosubaru

search for "final drive" or "gear ratio" and you should find the charts, there are rather explicit lists out there for manual trans stuff, very easy to find. the auto trans now that's much harder. seems the final drive is closely related to what engine is in the car and whether it's manual/automatic. i would guess the legacy will be a 3.9 and the impreza OBS will be a 4.11. but i am not sure. but no matter, just swap the rears as well, that little bit difference won't matter. or swap the front diffs if you're really ambitious and want to keep it identical.

that's what i was thinking, even if the exact EJ22ish spot isn't there i should be able to install it somewhere. i've seen people relocate stock knock sensors on EJ25's, so same difference really. i'm picking the motor up tomorrow so i'll figure something out. the NASIOC guys would know but sifting through 4 pages of flames and rediculous commentary to get an answer isn't my cup of tea.

replacing the headgaskets sounds like your best bet. replacing the headgaskets should take you to 200k. assuming it wasn't overheated really bad and driven extensively like that. dealers usually charge $1,200 - $1,500 for headgaskets, that's the going rate. clutch, timing belts, water pump could all be extra. if you're going for this, like the vehicle and want it to last more than 200,000 miles then do these as well: replace water pump, any noisey timing pulleys (at least - probably the cogged pulley will need it), and all the clutch components - pilot bearing, throw out bearing and two clips. all fairly inexpensive and easy to do while the engine is out. if you do that your chances of making 200,000 with this motor are really, really good. you can also swap an EJ22 in it's place but the dealer won't do that. that can be the cheapest option but requires some leg work and finding a shop to do it for you. all the information is here. selling your blown headgasket EJ25 can more than pay for an EJ22 depending on finding a good deal. then you're just paying labor to install. it's a plug and play affair, no wiring or computer issues to deal with if you get the right motor.

there's only a need/advantage if the controller you're using (aftermarket or ECU) has the ability to use that information. so noone knows if i can just drill and tap a hole for a knock sensor in an EJ18?

i would have asked that too if i needed to know, that's the easy part, i already have that taken care of. since i haven't gotten the motor yet, i can't look to see if it has the boss or same place as an EJ22/EJ25 for the knock sensor. i'm sure someone on here knows.

38438AA041 is the "new" XT6 center diff part number. and here is a Subaru parts response i just received: 38438aa041 suits: 96-2000 - legacy AT 02/99-03/200 - Legacy AT 03/1996-03/2000 AT Impreza 11/1996-03/2000 AT Forester Looks like XT6 and EJ stuff may be interchangeable? I wonder why they gave me that and you got a different #?

the EJ18 doesn't have a knock sensor, if you wanted to install one, couldn't you just drill the hole for an EJ22 knock sensor and tap it? the EJ18 and EJ22 being nearly identical i would imagine the "spot" on the EJ18 block is there where the EJ22 knock sensor goes?

NAPA is lame, i don't understand why people like them so much, particularly soob people? they've screwed up more parts than anywhere else and i use them as little as possible. they're expensive as balls and the return on the $ isn't very good. that they stay in business is beyond me.

i thought they were all identical? let's say a 1997 Legacy GT sedan Automatic, AWD, but i'd be curious about any EJ series as i think center diffs are interchangeable. for the XT6 it's: 38438AA010 superceded by 38438 AA041 funny you should reply m., i'm putting the XT parts catalog to work!

there's no vibrations at all? if someone else did it, then so can you (or a machine shop). the FSM also states the Ujoints aren't servicable...along with many other items on the car which I and others have done. it can be done, it's a matter of finding a shop that's either done it before or willing to try. for some it's easier to order another shaft and be done with no down time. rather than calling around, asking, finding a place that wants you to bring it in first, sourcing bearings and on and on, which requires removal and down time...etc and depending on prices in your area and the shop won't end up being any cheaper than a used one. all shops i know of charge a minimum of $45/hour with a 1 hour minimum shop charge. i would bet you're looking at 1 hour plus the cost of new bearings - so probably $100 or more. you can get a used one cheaper than that shipped to your door. no down time, calling, asking around, dropping it off, etc. the funny thing is that whether you install a new one or a used one i promise your next issue (if there is one) is with a ujoint, not the used (or new) carrier bearing.

bad luck, 20 years old, that is strange. he is rather mean to you, maybe it's just attitude, terrible two's or something? i don't think it's chassis rust related or there would be lots of cars around here needing windshields every year, so i agree with you on that one. i wonder if there's any rust under the windshield, maybe it'll be seen when it's replaced? i had my last one replaced for $160 or was it $180? i posted it on the xt6 site.

rear differentials aren't that expensive. same idea as the center bearings, they don't fail enough to warrant buying new either, which is why used ones are everywhere and can be found cheap, there's no demand. should be able to get one of those for $100 or less as well, probably like $50. be a good excuse to upgrade to a limited slip style, but that's just me! let's get more specific, are you just hearing things or do you feel any vibrations? if you feel anything i would suspect it's a ujoint, they fail more often than the carrier bearings, and there are three of them, not just one....so three times the chance of failure...or however the statisticians calculate that. okay, if you're interested in checking yourself you can crawl under and look at the driveshaft...that will probably fix it. juts kidding, if you get under there you can grab and yank on the driveshaft. sometimes a bad ujoint is detectable under the car. you'll see the metal shearing at the ujoint - it'll look like shiney metal or wearing in an area or you can feel play in the shaft that shouldn't be there. unfortunately you can't really rule out the driveshaft without removing it. the joints can also seize which makes them feel fine, no play, but they do cause noise and vibration. removing the driveshaft isn't all that difficult if you'd like to entertain doing that to see. you can probably just unbolt the carrier bearing (2 17mm bolts i believe) and drop it down. this may give you enough access to see if the bearings are noisey or rough. just spin the bearing around. on some soobs the carrier bearing and axle will drop down and just squeeze through without needing to remove the exhaust, that is nice since then it's only a 2 bolt job. not sure about yours though. the front half of the driveshaft (in front of the carrier bearing) isn't held in by anything, it just slides into the transmission, so with the carrier bearing out it has movement to slide in and out, but i don't believe it will come out all the way if it's still bolted to the rear diff. i wouldn't put a ton of pressure or leave it that way very long though as it slides through a seal where it slides into the trans. although the seal is very easy to replace, just be mindful and you won't need to.

are you sure it's not the rear differential or the ujoints in the shaft? the center carrier bearings fail so rarely that i would install a used driveshaft, even in my wifes car. and they never "fail" anyway, they always give plenty of warning so in the very unlikely event that your replacement one failed (which won't happen anyway), it wouldn't strand you or cause any problems. another low-mileage used unit can be had for under $100 rather easily and they are super easy to replace.

anyone know the part number for the EJ series front differential on an AWD automatic?

those of us that say to use OEM Subaru (or magnecor) are not saying that "every single aftermarket wire will fail immediately upon installation". it comes down to risks, percentages and how you view car maintenance. for those of us that have replaced hundreds of spark plug wires and have a large base of experiences and mileages to look at, we are conveying the highest level of reliability and least amount of risk that we see. and good point, i'm sure some aftermarkets are better than others, using the cheapest, chain stores sets or "single wires" is a very bad idea for EJ engines.

for plugs and wires it's best to keep to Subaru OEM on both. just so you know, this is true of your engine and really all the newer generation stuff, not necessarily all subaru's. i (and others) have seen brand new aftermarket wires causes cylinder misfire codes and poor running right out of the box, we do not recommend this for no reason. for your engine the only other option is Magnecor wires, that's what i use. they are excellent and you will never need to replace them. check out their website if you're interested.

oh yes, definitely wait and replace that. there's no way you want to introduce contaminants there inside the trans, no matter how small and benign they may seem in your hand. some thick grease is about the only way to help hold in place. i've always found that seal a bit flakey, it's amazing to me they don't cause more problems than they do. the dealer calls it a "ring seal" and if you can, take a picture with it circled or better yet a part number, sometimes they have a hard time finding it on their screens.

your price range and what you want out of it will determine more than our oppinions. i like reliability and cheap since i hate driving trucks with a passion, strictly functional for me. i have a straight 6 300 1994 Ford F150. in terms of reliability you can't really beat that motor with a manual trans, maybe with the exception of diesels but i know nothing about those. i tow cars with it through the mountains and it's a bit on the weak side, have to down shift to 4th to get up the steep interstate grades but otherwise it does exactly what i need and doesn't cost a dime. i've just now reached my first "repair" - a headlight at 175,000 miles. kind of scarry that everything but belts, plugs and tires on it are still original considering i'm a replacement/maintenance guy on my soobs.

does anyone know if automatic EA/ER 4EAT front diffs are similar to EJ front diffs? are any of the parts interchangeable? i have an ER (XT6) auto trans an EJ auto trans, both 4EAT obviously. if i have to pull them apart to look, what am i looking for to see if the front differentials are interchangeable? any hints there?

does anyone know if automatic EA/ER 4EAT front diffs are similar to EJ front diffs? are any of the parts interchangeable? i have a bad ER (XT6) auto trans and a bad EJ auto trans, both 4EAT obviously. if i have to pull them apart to look, what am i looking for to see if the front differentials are interchangeable? any hints there?

yes

EJ axles are cake, if you're pounding and separating suspension parts you're doing way too much work. with the wheel off all i do is remove the top strut mount bolt - that's it, one bolt. it's eccentric, so mark it like in the photo and make sure it's orientation is the same when you install it - that's how they adjust camber. i don't even remove the bottom strut mount bolt, just loosen it so i can rotate the hub out.

cool. others have seen bad shifting when swapping the TCU. i ask if they have the TCU if i'm looking at a transmission. for $50-$100 it's worth it to have on hand.

it's not only the 92's. checking the SVX boards would be a nice place to go, all the SVX owners and knowledgeable folks that are here are over there, and there is a ton of information there about the SVX. i'd probably snoop around there for a bit.

great vehicle, but is not for the faint of heart. i wouldn't get one unless you are really, really wanting an SVX. i'm a huge fan of them and their predecessor the XT6. the engines are very reliable and they are great vehicles. keep in mine though it's nearing 15 years old and reliability at this point is mostly affected by the previous 15 years of ownership, not the original quality of the vehicle (which is rather high). parts are hard to find and parts can be insanely expensive. $700 for a windshield just for starters, others here can post more insane prices. part availability and prices are your enemy here, make your decision based on that. if you're willing to deal with sourcing parts and paying far higher prices for things, then you're good. wheel bearing and auto trans failure are the most common issues. the automatic transmissions have a high failure rate, it isn't surprising to see them already replaced or rebuilt by this time. heat kills them, they need an ATF cooler. so if you get it, have one installed right away. and be sure to test drive and make sure the transmission feels really good and the ATF doesn't smell toasty or look bad.